1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to the field of networks (e.g., the Internet). More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for interfacing devices of a private network with a public network.
2. Description of Background Art
The Internet Protocol (IP) is a set of rules that defines how computers and other digital devices communicate over networks, such as private networks and the Internet. IP is commonly employed to route information from one device to another device in a network. For this purpose, a unique IP address is assigned to each of the devices, which serves as an identification for the device and ensures that data meant for a particular device is not routed to another device.
Generally, IP addresses can be assigned either statically or dynamically to the devices in a network. In a static assignment of IP addresses, once a device has been assigned an IP address, the IP address of the device is fixed and it is not changed. In the case of a dynamic assignment of IP addresses, a central server assigns an IP address is temporarily to the device. The dynamic assignment of an IP address is implemented by using a protocol called the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP works by having a client device that needs an IP address send a message over the network. A DHCP server responds by offering an available IP address. Usually, both the static and dynamic assignment of IP addresses is implemented in a network. Specific network administration and control is required in such cases, to ensure that the assignment of an IP address does not lead to any duplication of IP addresses, and network disruptions can be avoided.
However, in the case of a Public Access LAN (PAL) environment, access to the Internet is provided in public environments, such as in hotels, at airports, and in coffee shops and so forth. In most, if not all such networks, there is no administrative control of the configuration of the network devices. In a PAL, a user may freely configure the network settings. As a result, the user may choose to assign a static IP address to a device, or obtain an IP address dynamically from a DHCP server in the PAL. Therefore, it is possible that a device statically configured by the user could have the same IP address as another dynamically configured device, or a statically configured device on the same PAL.
From the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that duplication of IP addresses in a PAL may occur due to non-administered configurations of the network devices. In such a scenario, devices with a same IP address are prone to interfere with each other's network communications in the absence of specific support to deal with such a scenario.